I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

As I reflect upon 2011, two things stand out for me above everything else.

Firstly, it’s been an extremely tough year for many of my constituents. People are struggling to make ends meet with the rising the costs of food, fuel, gas and electricity bills. Many people have lost their jobs, or are worried about keeping their job. Small businesses are under pressure as everyone tightens their belts and the vital public services, on which we all depend, face the deepest cuts in a generation.

Yet despite these very tough times, there are countless inspirational individuals who make a difference to my constituents week in, week out. I have met NHS staff who provide superb care for patients with cancer and children with heart defects, home helps and residential care assistants who look after vulnerable older people, teachers who champion aspiration and achievement in our schools, and dedicated volunteers and community activists who give their time and effort with little thought for themselves. All of these people show a generosity and commitment which makes me extraordinarily proud.

I’d like to thank you for your support this year and for the steps you have taken to help your friends and neighbours, and our city as a whole. 2012 looks set to be another difficult year so we’re going to have to continue to pull together. As ever, I’m determined to speak up for and to support my constituents here in Leicester and in Westminster.

On Monday 28 November I had the great pleasure of speaking at an event held in Parliament on the ‘Grey Pride’ campaign. The campaign calls on the Government to appoint a dedicated Minister for Older People with responsibility for championing the needs of people aged over 65 at Cabinet level.

Our ageing society is something to be celebrated, not feared.  All too often we seem to talk about older people as if they are a ‘burden’, forgetting the huge contribution that the over 65s make to our families, communities and society as a whole. Speaking up for our ageing population is also an issue that really matters to people: 137,000 people have already signed the ‘Grey Pride’ petition – that’s more people than supported the recent petition for an ‘in-out’ EU referendum!

Ed Miliband has appointed me as the Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, attending the Shadow Cabinet. I want to see the issues affecting older people move from the sidelines to the centre of policy and national life, where they belong.

I hope that David Cameron follows suit and appoints a Minister for Older People at Cabinet level.

The Shama Women’s Centre in Highfields is a brilliant organisation that provides services and support to women throughout Leicester.

By offering training opportunities, such as NVQ and ESOL courses, and a range of other services like supporting new mums to breast feed, Shama helps women, particularly from disadvantaged communities, to improve their lives, develop their skills and integrate with the wider community.

I was at the Shama Centre on Friday, talking to the women who use the services, and the staff who provide them. I was particularly impressed by the warm and welcoming in-house crèche, which has been crucial to the Centre’s success.

I am extremely proud, and honoured, to be the patron of the Shama Centre and I look forward to celebrating their 25^th birthday in February next year.

I recently visited Denham Garden Village, which is a development of retirement homes run by Anchor in south Buckinghamshire. The village is home to some 500 elderly residents, who all have access to a 24-hour support service, an on-site GP surgery, and other facilities that help them stay fit and active including a fitness centre, swimming pool, and dance and exercise classes.

I talked to a number of the residents, who told me the reason they love living there is because they can be independent but with peace of mind. They know that if something goes wrong and they need care and support, it will be there for them24/7. At the same time, they can continue to live an independent and active life, using all the facilities that are on offer if they want to, with their friends and family welcome too.

I think independence with peace of mind sums up what many people want as they get older, and I will be championing these goals as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care and Older People.